New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

[lonesouth]

Buying a boat has never been this easy...

Oh, scratch that, it isn't easy, it is nigh impossible. Cruising around craigslist and I find the following:

1. 2007 Bayliner 175 with a 3.0 for $6,900
2. 1997 Chaparral 1830ss with a 4.3 for $6,500
3. 1993 Four Winns Horizon 190 with a rebuilt 5.0 for $6,750

This is just my current example, but it does lend itself to some other questions. As boats age, it can be expected that more things will need to be replaced, much like owning a house. At what point does a better quality boat become less desirable than a newer, lower quality and perhaps less optioned, boat. Assuming that the older boat has been well maintained and not abused.

And this is a great forum! Lots of info and great people!

edit: I'm not presuming that Four Winns is a better boat than Chaparral; it was required to make my title catchy.

 

[oops!]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

it all depends on the owners my friend.

i have seen 07 bayliners that are in terrible shape....left open all winter....and we get the boat in the spring to "restore" to beauty.

one of the mods here says "there aint no such thing as a bad boat.....just bad owners"

in answer to your question about when does the boat turn to less desirable....that depends on the boat itself.
however there is a real depreciation line at approx 12-15 years. both the chap and the winns are on the edge.

the forwinns is pricy except with the rebuilt.....but hows the drive?
the chap is a little pricy...if you can get that for about a grand cheaper...id do it.

the bilge liner is approx 1/2 price of new...im expecting a very base line model there if it is what you want....it wont deprecate that much over the next 3 years

cheers
oops

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

You may well find the Bayliner underpowered for what you want.
As said already though, condition and maintenance are huge factors over age and price.
Welcome to iboats.

 

[Bliner175]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

I went through the same dilemma a month ago and ended up going new and a bit cheaper (2010 Bayliner 175). I figure that if I take great care of it, I'll be happy in the end. The warranty that comes with it sure helped me decide, too!

 

[tawood]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

You may well find the Bayliner underpowered for what you want.
As said already though, condition and maintenance are huge factors over age and price.
Welcome to iboats.

It may be underpowered for ripping the arms off skiers, towing 30 tubes at a time, etc....otherwise, doing normal water sports with 5-6 in the boat, you'll be fine.

 

[Alumarine]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

It may be underpowered for ripping the arms off skiers, towing 30 tubes at a time, etc....otherwise, doing normal water sports with 5-6 in the boat, you'll be fine.

x2 I liked that. It will probably only do 40-45 mph with a light load depending on prop.

Don't forget, the drive trains will all be of similar quality no matter the manufacturer.

 

[dingbat]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

As boats age, it can be expected that more things will need to be replaced, much like owning a house. At what point does a better quality boat become less desirable than a newer, lower quality and perhaps less optioned, boat. Assuming that the older boat has been well maintained and not abused.

The heart and soul of a boat is it hull. The entire boat is built around it.. You can replace stringers, decks, transoms, you name it, but you can't replace a hull. Boats like the Boston Whaler, the Porter Seacrafts, and the 28 Bertram 28 are famous for their hull integrity. Those hulls still bring top dollar today no matter what the condition of the rest of the boat.

To get back to your question, at what point does a 2009 Ford Fiesta become more desirable than a 2000 Corvette?

It depends upon your expectations. If your expectation is only to commute to and from work, and you?re not sure if the motor is under the hood or in the trunk, then you'd be better off with the Fiesta.

If you're performance minded and know a bit about wrenching, then of course the decision would be quite easy. It's a question only you can answer.

 

[lonesouth]

Re: New & cheap vs Old and Good vs Older and Gooder

thanks for the advice fellas. A little more digging suggests that the older 2 may be overpriced, and the bayliner is just too small.

I like the fiesta/corvette analogy, I've got access to my dad's 79 Boston Whaler 13 Sport for the fiesta, just looking for a little more corvette for the family.